I find it challenging at times not to eat more than I should. I mean… I know I have to stop eating, but my mouth wants to continue eating haha…
If you’re like me, don’t worry – we can work towards eating better. Here’s what I share with my clients, feel free to use these as part of your strategy to not overeat 🙂
How to Avoid Eating Extras?
While eating more than one meal, big or small, is a common habit, it can be hard to break.
While some may see eating too much as an easily fixable problem or bad habit, it could also indicate a psychological condition such as an eating disorder – so please do an assessment of yourself and seek help if needed ya?
Here are 5 proven ways to prevent eating extra so you can also prevent major illnesses that come along with not being able to treat them:
Know what foods cause you to overeat
People who are likely to overeat cookies and cakes should limit their purchase and storage of it in their homes.
Knowing which foods make you want to eat too much and then not eating them can help you avoid overeating.
Having healthy snacks like apple with peanut butter, hummus and veggies can help people make better choices.
Another way is to keep your sight away from your ‘challenges. For example, you can change your route if, on your way home, you always pass by your favourite bakery. This may be a little inconvenient at first, but you will certainly reap the benefits in the long run.
Fill your body with protein
High-protein snacks like eggs or Greek yoghurt can help you eat less during the day and keep your hunger in check.
Ghrelin, a hormone that makes you want to eat, is lower when you eat a protein-rich breakfast or high-protein mid-afternoon snack.
Protein is a valuable macro-nutrient for maintaining good health and keeping your body strong so try to incorporate it into your meals as often as possible.
Plan your meals and snacks
People who aren’t ready when they’re hungry are more likely to eat more than they should. Pack healthy snacks such as nuts, pack home-cooked lunches at work, and stock the fridge with healthy options.
Making dinner at home instead of going out can also save money and time.
It is also shown that people who cook more often at home are more aware of the ingredients they use and thus relatively consume healthier types of meals.
Keep an eye on how much alcohol you drink
Drinking alcohol lowers your inhibitions and makes you want to eat more. College students who drink four to five drinks at a time more than once a week are more likely to overeat after drinking, according to a study in the British Journal of Sports Medicine.
So if you want to cut down on overeating, it’s also a good idea to also cut back on alcohol.
Practice eating slowly
Slower-paced eating is linked to more fullness and less hunger, and it can be a good way to stop overeating.
Here’s what you can do to practice eating slowly: take the time to thoroughly chew your food.
This practice will give you enough time to process than you’re already full and hence, prevent you from overeating and it will also increase satiety.
Reminder: Learning how to stop overeating may be difficult at first, but it’s not possible with these tips you can slowly start incorporating them into your life.